Heavy Metal

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(Vocal/instrumental group, 1973–present) A hard-rocking quintet whose no frills approach garnered them a huge following, AC/DC were formed in Sydney in 1973 by expatriate Scottish brothers Angus and Malcolm Young (both guitar). Bon Scott became lead singer in 1974. After two Antipodes-only albums, the band moved to America where their fifth album for Atlantic Records, Highway To Hell (1979), produced by Mutt Lange, established them in the big league, selling over six ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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With the exception of Judas Priest, no metal band has been more influential than Iron Maiden. And it is no coincidence that Maiden first took flight when guitarist Adrian Smith joined the band one month into recording their second album, Killers, in 1981. Adrian Frederik ‘H’ Smith was born in Hackney, East London, in February 1957. At school, he was drawn to the rock-guitar sounds of Jimi Hendrix and Ritchie Blackmore, ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin
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(Vocal/instrumental group, 1970–present) This best-selling American heavy rock band, frequently compared to The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, centred on the relationship between principal members Steven Tyler (vocals) and Joe Perry (guitar). The pair came together in Boston, Massachusetts, with Joey Kramer (drums), Brad Whitford (guitar) and Tom Hamilton (bass). Their first album Aerosmith (1973) was an immediate success, paving the way for the multi-platinum Toys In The Attic (1974) and ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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For over 30 years, guitarist Alex Lifeson has quietly served as the cohesive key to success for progressive rockers Rush – arguably the most enduring and successful hard-rock band of all time. A guitarist always more interested in finding the right chord voicing or textural effect to make a chorus work than in shredding the frets off his axe du jour, it’s no wonder every one of his power trio’s ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin
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Alex Skolnick (b. 1968) is best known as a metal guitarist with thrash pioneers Testament, but metal is just one facet of the talented guitarist’s abilities. Skolnick was born in Berkeley, California. At the age of nine, he discovered Kiss and subsequently decided to learn guitar. He was later inspired by the highly technical work of Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads. At the age of 16, he joined a ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin
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(Vocals, b. 1948) Although over time the name Alice Cooper came to attach itself to singer Vincent Furnier, it originally applied to the rock band that he fronted, the classic line-up of which comprised Cooper, Glen Buxton (guitar), Michael Bruce (guitar), Dennis Dunaway (bass) and Neal Smith (drums). After recording two albums for Frank Zappa’s Straight label, the band relocated from California back to Detroit, developing the outrageous stage act for ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal/instrumental group, 1987–present) This Seattle group, Layne Staley (vocals), Jerry Cantrell (guitar), Mike Starr (bass) and Sean Kinney (drums), cut their teeth on a winning blend of metal and acoustic numbers before being remarketed as a ‘grunge’ act after Nirvana’s huge success. Their second album Dirt (1992) won acclaim and huge sales, a position cemented by Jar Of Flies EP (1994) and an eponymous third album (1995). Despite spawning imitators, they ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal/instrumental group, 1981–present) Formed in New York with Dan Spitz (guitar), Scott Ian (guitar), Dan Lilker (bass) and Charlie Benante (drums). After adding Joey Belladonna (vocals) they hit paydirt, recording Spreading The Disease for Island in 1986. They gained an awesome live reputation, while issuing blistering records (State Of Euphoria, 1988 and Sound Of White Noise, 1993), including a team-up with rapper Chuck D, ‘Bring The Noise’. They remain one of ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
94 Words Read More

(Vocal/instrumental group, 1978–present) This dreadlocked crew – Dr. Know (guitar), Darryl Jenifer (bass) and Earl Hudson (drums) – ditched jazz-fusion for thrash-punk. They wowed New York’s hip CBGB club, and released the excellent Rock The Light (1983). The volatile H.R. (‘throat’, not vocals) left and rejoined, as they incorporated reggae and funk on the likes of I Against I (1986) and God Of Love (1995). Worshipped by Henry Rollins, they also ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal/instrumental group, 1968–present) Pioneers of heavy metal, Sabbath hailed from Birmingham, England and comprised John ‘Ozzy’ Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Terence ‘Geezer’ Butler (bass), and Bill Ward (drums). Their second album’s title track ‘Paranoid’ was a rare hit single as Black Sabbath’s reputation was built on a series of 1970s albums, featuring doom-laden lyrics set to downtuned guitar. Osbourne was fired in 1979, finally rejoining his colleagues in 1997. Styles & ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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America’s leading hard rock band in the 1980s, Bon Jovi have broadened their appeal still further by combining their musical aggression with catchy pop songs to achieve a universal appeal. The band was formed in 1983 in New Jersey by singer Jon Bon Jovi (b. John Francis Bongiovi, 2 March 1962), guitarist Richie Sambora (b. 11 July 1969), keyboard player David Bryan (b. David Bryan Rashbaum, 7 February 1962), bassist Alec ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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In the early 1980s, as the new wave of British heavy metal was taking the US by storm, an American music revolution called ‘thrash metal’ was brewing, combining the heavy sounds of metal with the unabashed aggression and speed of punk. At the centre of this sonic storm was a young quartet called Megadeth, which featured the lightning-fast yet fluid lead licks of guitarist Chris Poland (b. 1957). Though best known ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin
387 Words Read More

(Vocal/instrumental group, 1995–2004, 2009–present) One of the biggest post-grunge rock acts, formed in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1995, Scott Stapp (vocals), Mark Tremonti (guitar, vocals), Brian Marshall (bass) and Scott Phillips (drums) self-financed their debut album My Own Prison (1998). This collection of powerful rock tunes and genuinely spiritual lyrics went on to spawn a record four US No. 1 singles including ‘One’ and ‘What’s This Life For’. Human Clay (1999) and ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
107 Words Read More

More than any other hard-rock or heavy-metal duo, Iron Maiden guitarists Adrian Smith and Dave Murray (b. 1956) set the standard for twin-guitar harmony lines and riffs. Indeed, their killer riffs and epic songs have helped to make Iron Maiden one of the most influential metal bands of all time. Murray was born in Edmonton, England. Inspired by the early rock sounds of Jimi Hendrix, Free and Deep Purple, he got ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin
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Dave Mustaine (b. 1961) was the original lead guitarist for the heavy-metal band Metallica and the co-founder, lead guitarist and lead singer of the thrash-metal band Megadeth. He was born in La Mesa, California. Brought up as a Jehovah’s Witness, by the age of 17, he was surviving financially by dealing drugs. In the 1970s, Mustaine began playing electric guitar and joined a band called Panic. In 1981, Mustaine left Panic ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin
401 Words Read More
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